Homaloxestis ellipsoidea, Liu, Shurong & Wang, Shuxia, 2014

Liu, Shurong & Wang, Shuxia, 2014, The genus Homaloxestis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3760 (1), pp. 79-88 : 81-85

Homaloxestis ellipsoidea sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 c, 1f, 2c, 4c)

Type material. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Guanping, Mengyang (22º05′N, 100º53′E), Yunnan Province, 1200 m, 18.viii.2005, coll. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide No. ZYM06011. Paratypes: CHINA: 2 ♂, Bubang, Mengla County (21º30′N, 101º29′E), Yunnan Province, 650 m, 23, 24.viii.2005, coll. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide No. LSR11086; 2 ♂, Tropical Botanical Garden, Menglun (21º50′N, 101º35′E), Yunnan Province, 570 m, 13, 15.viii.2005, coll. Yingdang Ren.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to H. hainanensis Wu, 1994 . It can be separated from the latter species by the absence of the broad pale orange band along costa on the forewing and the absence of the paired long hairpencils arising from the mesothoracic anepisternum in male, which are present in H. hainanensis ; the male genitalia of the new species differ from those of H. hainanensis in having the ventral margin of the valva protruded semicircularly at middle and with a triangularly shaped process beyond middle curved backwards, and the long juxta nearly oblong; whereas in H. hainanensis , the ventral margin of the valva is not protruded at middle, but has a sclerotized angled process near middle, and the relatively small juxta is nearly quadrate.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 1 c, 1f): Wingspan 10.0–11.0 mm. Head brown. Antenna pale brown. Labial palpus pale yellow, scattered with light brown scales; second segment with appressed scales; third segment a little longer than second, pointed terminally. Thorax and tegula dark brown. Forewing with costal margin arched along basal half, straight along distal half; apex bluntly rounded; termen oblique; ground color dark brown; cilia dark grayish brown. Hindwing grayish brown; cilia pale grayish brown. Fore and mid legs yellowish white on dorsal surface, brown on ventral surface, scattered with dark brown scales; hind legs brown, except tibiae covered with long pale yellowish-brown hairs.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 2 c): Uncus broad and short, straight anteriorly, slightly concave at middle caudally, bearing setae on dorsal surface. Gnathos with basal half nearly uniform in width, distal half tapering to hooked apex. Costal bridge narrow, slightly arched. Valva with distal half a little broader than basal half, nearly elliptical; ventral margin semicircularly protruded near middle, with a triangular process curved backwards beyond middle, with bullet-like spines along distal 1/3. Sacculus about half length of valva, narrowed to distal end. Vinculum with anterior margin protruded semicircularly. Juxta relatively long, anterior margin convex in cone shape medially, caudal margin slightly convex medially, postero-lateral lobes short, obtuse at apex. Aedeagus about 4/5 length of valva, curved at 2/5, with a lot of thorn-like particles or Y-shaped thorns scattered from basal 1/5 to apex in a broad row.

Seventh sternite ( Fig. 4 c): Lateral ribs moderately sclerotized; anterior pair long and thin, extended to posterior margin of sixth abdominal segment; posterior pair heavily sclerotized, short, tooth-like, extended to anterior margin of eighth abdominal segment; antero-median rod short and broad, rounded apically, extended into sixth segment internally, with extensible hair-pencils at apex.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The name of this species derived from the Latin ellipsoideus (elliptic), in reference to the shape of distal half of the valva.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adults of Homaloxestis spp. a, H. aciformis sp. nov., holotype; b, H. australis Park; c, H. ellipsoidea sp. nov., holotype; d, H. plocamandra (Meyrick); e, H. saitoi Park; f, enlarged head of H. ellipsoidea sp. nov. (a – f ♂; scales: a – e = 2.0 mm, f = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of Homaloxestis spp. a, H. aciformis sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LSR 12116; b, H. australis Park, slide No. LSR 11268; c, H. ellipsoidea sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LSR 11086; d, H. plocamandra (Meyrick), slide No. LSR 11214; e, H. saitoi Park, slide No. LSR 11271. (scales = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 4. Male seventh sternite of Homaloxestis spp. a, H. aciformis sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LSR 12116; b, H. australis Park, slide No. LSR 11268; c, H. ellipsoidea sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LSR 11086; d, H. plocamandra (Meyrick), slide No. LSR 11214; e, H. saitoi Park, slide No. LSR 11271. (scales = 0.5 mm).